Comma
She looked around for a while, when suddenly she saw him.
Is the comma correct or is it not necessary?
Top answer
"When" does not fit, so the comma is beside the point. " That comma is tricky. " It is almost as if the comma replaces "and" the way it does in a list.
- "When" does not fit, so the comma is beside the point.
- " That comma is tricky.
- " It is almost as if the comma replaces "and" the way it does in a list.
- Also, the version with "when" can take a comma if you like, even though there is strictly speaking no need for it.
- The pause it lends does no harm and makes things more sudden after it.
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"When" does not fit, so the comma is beside the point. You need continuous action for "when": "She had been looking around for a while when suddenly she saw him." Or you could change "when": "She looked around for a while, then suddenly she saw him."
That comma is tricky. Some people think that "then" is not a coordinating conjunction (although almost everybody uses it that way in casua
0anonymousIs the comma correct or is it not necessary?
It's a stylistic comma rather than a grammatical comma.
You can create a slight amount of suspense with the comma, but there is no grammatical reason to include it. In terms of grammar a subordinate clause should not be separated from the main clause by a comma when it follows the main clause; on
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